Big Eddy
- 9.1 mi
- round trip
- 3,139 ft
- climb
- 6,132 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Big Eddy open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Kootenai National Forest. It doesn't name Big Eddy, so check the source for the area it covers.
Kootenai Flood Event & Inaccessible Areas
Agency closure covering Kootenai National Forest · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
Updated Skillet Fire Area, Road, Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Kootenai National Forest · Order 01-10- · USFS · Kootenai National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Kootenai National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Big Eddy is a hard hike in the Cabinet Ranger District of Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana. The trail is about 9 miles long, with a one-way climb of 3,139 feet from a low point around 2,255 feet to a high of about 6,132 feet. It is an out-and-back route on natural surface, and horses are allowed. The trail is not accessible. Big Eddy Campground and the Clark Fork River Area, a fishing spot, are both about a tenth of a mile away. Historic Big Eddy is about a third of a mile off, and the Blacktail Creek hike lies about 1.7 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Kootenai River Campground30 mi away
- CDA River RV41 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)ROSS CREEK X-C SKI
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Bull River Campground Fishing
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Spar Peak
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6.81-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,959 ft elevation gain.
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Historic Big Eddy
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4.68-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,718 ft gain.
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Rice Draw
~6 min drive
7.35-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,830 ft gain.
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Dry Creek
~11 min drive
7.46-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 121 ft gain.
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Blacktail Creek
~3 min drive
3.63-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 1,063 ft of elevation gain.
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Pillick Ridge
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SKELETON CREEK
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Route details
- Distance
- 9.1 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 3,139 ft
- Starts at
- BIG EDDY TH 998 (about 2,255 ft)
- Summit
- 6,166 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 4.5 hours
Getting there
Park at BIG EDDY TH 998.
Season
Season: Year-round.
Other routes up Star Peak
Questions about this route
How long is the Big Eddy on Star Peak?
About 9.1 mi round trip from BIG EDDY TH 998 (about 2,255 ft).
How much elevation gain is on the Big Eddy?
About 3,139 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Big Eddy?
It is rated hard.
Where does the Big Eddy start?
BIG EDDY TH 998 (about 2,255 ft).
How long does the Big Eddy take?
About 4.5 hours round trip.
When is the best time for the Big Eddy?
Year-round.
How many routes go up Star Peak?
2: Big Eddy and Star Gulch.
Conditions and forecast on Star Peak
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
